Catharanthus plant named &#39;Suncatso 23&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Catharanthus  plant named ‘Suncatso 23’, characterized by its upright to outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely basal branching habit; freely flowering habit; long flowering period; double-type flowers that are purple violet in color; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Catharanthus roseus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNCATSO 23’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Catharanthus plant, botanically known as Catharanthus roseus and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Suncatso 23’.

The new Catharanthus plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new vigorous and freely branching Catharanthus plants with numerous double-type flowers.

The new Catharanthus plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in September, 2011 of a proprietary selection of Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation S22-P-30, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation SIR22-10, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Catharanthus plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in September, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Catharanthus plant by vegetative tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since December, 2013, has shown that the unique features of this new Catharanthus plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Catharanthus have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Suncatso 23’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Suncatso 23’ as a new and distinct Catharanthus plant:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely basal branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Long flowering period.     -   6. Double-type flowers that are purple violet in color.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Catharanthus differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Catharanthus differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in flower form as plants of the male parent selection have single-type flowers.

Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the Catharanthus roseus ‘Suncatha 2335’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 14/121,583. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Catharanthus differ from plants of ‘Suncatha 2335’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Catharanthus are not as broad as plants of         ‘Suncatha 2335’.     -   2. Plants of the new Catharanthus have thicker and lighter         green-colored stems than plants of ‘Suncatha 2335’.     -   3. Plants of the new Catharanthus and ‘Suncatha 2335’ differ in         flower color as plants of ‘Suncatha 2335’ have flowers that are         pink in color with a distinct red purple-colored eye zone.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Catharanthus plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Catharanthus plant. The photograph at the top of the sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Suncatso 23’ grown in a container. The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Suncatso 23’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the late summer/early autumn in 15-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 25° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C. Plants were seven months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Catharanthus roseus ‘Suncatso 23’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation S22-P-30,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation SIR22-10,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About two weeks at             temperatures about 30° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About three weeks at             temperatures about 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About five             weeks at temperatures about 30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About six             weeks at temperatures about 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual             color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition,             water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate             temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright to outwardly spreading and             mounding plant habit; freely basal branching habit, about             seven basal branches each with about five secondary branches             developing per plant; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 32 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 50 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 36 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 6.7 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 2.8 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—Upright to outwardly.         -   Texture.—Glabrous; rough.         -   Color.—Close to 146C. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 5 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.1 cm.         -   Shape.—Oblong.         -   Apex.—Cuspidate.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Densely pubescent; rough.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137C.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137D. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation,             close to 144D. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137D; venation, close to 144C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 9.6 mm. Diameter: About 1.6 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 144D tinged with close to 77C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Double-type star-shaped             salverform flowers arising from upper leaf axils; freely             flowering habit with about 100 flowers developing per plant             during the flowering season; flowers face mostly upright.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering habit.—Plants begin flowering about two to three             weeks after planting; long flowering period, in the garden,             plants flower continuously from the early summer to late             autumn in Japan.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about two to three             days on the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 3.4 cm. Diameter: About 5.2 mm.             Shape: Ovoid to cylindrical. Color: Proximally, close to             77D; distally, close to 77B.         -   Flower diameter.—About 4.1 cm.         -   Flower length (depth).—About 4.9 cm.         -   Tube length.—About 3.15 cm.         -   Tube diameter, proximally.—About 2.1 mm.         -   Tube diameter, distally.—About 3.1 mm.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals in a single whorl fused at             the base into a tube. Petal length from throat: About             2.3 cm. Petal width: About 1.4 cm. Petal shape: Narrowly             elliptic to oblanceolate. Petal apex: Rounded to truncate.             Petal margin: Entire; straight to slightly undulate. Petal             texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             longitudinally grooved. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Tube texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Petal, when opening,             upper surface: Close to 84A and N87A. Petal, when opening,             lower surface: Close to 84C and 84D. Petal, fully opened,             upper surface: Close to N82C and 76A; color towards the apex             becoming closer to 85B to 85D, and towards the base, close             to 84A, with development. Petal, fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 76A to 76C. Throat: Close to 138C. Tube:             Proximally, close to 138B tinged with close to 174A;             distally, close to 138B tinged with close to 165A.         -   Paracorolla.—Arrangement: Five petal-like segments in a             single whorl fused at the base. Paracorolla length: About             1.7 cm. Paracorolla width: About 4.5 mm. Paracorolla color:             When opening and fully opened, outer surface: Close to N8213             to N82C. When opening and fully opened, inner surface:             Towards the apex, close to 76C; towards the base, close to             NN155C.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Star-shaped tubular calyx with five             sepals fused towards the base and curled outwardly. Sepal             length: About 2.8 mm. Sepal width: About 0.9 mm. Sepal             shape: Lanceolate. Sepal apex: Acuminate. Sepal margin:             Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.4 mm. Diameter: About 1.4 mm.             Angle: Upright to outwardly. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: Close to 145B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five.             Anther size: About 1.5 mm by 0.7 mm. Anther shape: Narrowly             elliptic. Anther color: Close to 145A. Pollen amount:             Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 155B. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 2.4 cm. Style color: Close             to 145B. Stigma shape: Globose. Stigma color: Close to 144B.             Ovary color: Close to 144A. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit             development have not been observed on plants of the new             Catharanthus. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Catharanthus have been     observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain     and temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C. to 40° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Catharanthus have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Catharanthus plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Catharanthus plant named ‘Suncatso 23’ as illustrated and described. 